Improvement in clamp



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FRANCIS cLAssEn', or vMrs'rrc Binnen,- CONNECTICUT.

' LetterePatent No. 107,247, dated VSeptember 13, 187i).v

Mon-

IMPROVEMENT IN CLAMP.

he Schedule' referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

-planking against the ribs of a ship during the operaltion of spikingand'treenailipg the rplanking 'to `the ribs, consists in combining with'the tightening-screw,

-and serrated dogs of the clamp, springs for automatically enpanding thedogs', and a rope or cord fer clos-l ing the same, as well as a hook onthe inner end of theclamp-platc, ali arranged and operatingsubstantially as hereinafter set forth, thereby affording sufficientresistance to the screw for bending andA bracing the plank to the ribswhile heing'spiked and treenailed, as I will further explain 'byreference to the nccompanying drawing, of which--4 VFigure 1 is anelevation of my invention; y

Figure 2,' a plan of saine, showing the serrated err-- pansive dogsbetween the rib's, while the screw is bracing a plank against said ribs;

Figure 3 represents my inventicn with the expansive serrated dogs thrownoutward and clutching the inside of the ribs, inthe absence oi' the skinot' the vessel; and y l Figure 4, a plan of one of theexpansive serratedz ogs.

In the said drawing- A A indicate the ribs;

B, the skin or ceiling of the inside; and4 C, the plankingor outside of-the ship.

lD is the clamp-screw, provided with a journal, E, on itsinuerend, onwhich are placed the expansive serrated dogs F F, which are serrated atf on the outside, and having hooks g g on'the inside, said dogs being,conlined on the journal E by a spring key, G, or, instead of the key,the dogs may he attached by a screw and nut on the outer end ofthejournal.

HH are springs attached to the clamp-plate d, and to the dogs,.t'or thepurpose of expanding the dogs, and K is a small rope, which, when Ih'awuon, acts on the springs, closing the serrated dogs, and releasing themfrom their hold on the ribs, when it may he desired to remove theclamp-screw.

lis a hook on the inner. end of the clamp-plate, an l M is the screw forbracing the plank against the ribs, in resistance to the opposing forceexerted by the dogs against the ribs, 1 .l

I would remark that my clamping-screw, when divcsted of the serrateddogs, springs, and rope, leaving only the hook L and zscrew M, can beusedv with profit nvarious purposes in ship building.l

In'lship building, the'ribs on being placed in position, tlieskin oreeiling'on the inside is laid on iu the first place before the plankiugon the outside iscommenced, and, consequently, there` is no means `leftfor a hearing on theinside of the ribs, to bracethe planking againsttheribs. a I

The ordinarymethod heilig toiusert eye-bolts in the ribs, and placingreinstafs in the. eye-bolts by means of wedges ydriven between thereinstalis and the plank, force the, plank against the ribs. But thislnethodhas hccn found to consume much labor and expense.

Another method was bymcans ofjack-screws placed between the staging andthe planks, for the purpose of bracing the'plank against the ribs. Butipf'thiscase the staging often gave way without effecting the desiredobject, and occasionally with detriment to the workmen ;v andclamp-screws have also been employed,

with stay pieces wedged between the timbers on which to take hold, 'butwere so complicated andinelectivc as to be abandoned.'

These-defects. suggested to me the, seliadjusting clamp-screw comprisingthesuhject of this applica-v tion, which is simple in construction,ellicient and convenientin use,a dapting :itself instantly to everyvariety of space between .the ribs, and affording sulicient power -forbracing the planking to the ribs dur,- ing the operation of spiking andtreenailing the planking to the ribs of -a ship.

` I am aware that a patent was granted to John J.

' Hill, November 2 6,1867,for clamp for planking shipsy sides, in whichserrated dogs are'claimed.; butIdo not claim such.

v Having described my invention,

What I clai rn, and desire to secure byv Letters Patent is- 'he springsH H, rope K, and hook L, when used in combination with the serrateddogsF F and screw M, substantially as and for the purposes described andset forth.

In testimony whereof 1 have hereunto set my sig#V 'nature this 21stdayci' September, A. D. 1869.

